Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School in Frankfort Held Its First “Penny Wars” to Benefit Children with Cancer

Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School in Frankfort Held Its First “Penny Wars” to Benefit Children with Cancer

Posted by Colleen Kisel, Community Contributor

Winning members of Team Red, at Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School in Frankfort, proudly celebrate their "Penny Wars" victory while displaying the proceeds which will benefit childhood cancer patients nationwide.

Winning members of Team Red, at Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School in Frankfort, proudly celebrate their "Penny Wars" victory while displaying the proceeds which will benefit childhood cancer patients nationwide. (Posted by Colleen Kisel, Community Contributor)

During the month of May 2016, Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School in Frankfort held its first "Penny Wars" to benefit children and teens fighting cancer. This unique fundraiser raised $2,888 for the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) an Orland Park based non-profit organization that provides comfort and distraction from painful treatments to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing a toy, gift or gift card in 49 hospitals nationwide. Every penny raised will benefit children and teens fighting cancer.

The Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classes participated in the fundraiser. The students were split into five teams, each with a designated color. They then 'went to war' to see just which team could collect the most pennies. Team Red collected the most pennies and won the battle to put smiles on the faces of children and teens fighting cancer. In the end, everyone is a winner!

Kindergarten teacher Tina Gnade's brother benefitted from the Treasure Chest Foundation's services and has been in remission for 10 years now. Tina said, "We work with little kids every day and we are lucky to see them healthy and thriving. We can't imagine the kids having to go through these cancer treatments."

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel is especially grateful to the Dr. Julian Rogus Elementary School faculty and the students for their efforts in raising such an impressive total. "Thanks to the success of schools creative idea, the summer will be brighter and happier for thousands of brave young people throughout the nation who benefit from our services," said Ms. Kisel.

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 9,300 young cancer patients each month in 49 hospitals nationwide. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Ms. Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. She discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 23rd anniversary of remission from the disease earlier this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation's web site at www.treasurechest.org.

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